[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 74 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. J. RES. 74

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the Government of Malawi's 
   arrest of opponents and suppression of freedoms, and conditioning 
                         assistance for Malawi.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               March 26 (legislative day, March 3), 1993

 Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mrs. Kassebaum, Mr. Simon, and Mr. Specter) 
  introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the Government of Malawi's 
   arrest of opponents and suppression of freedoms, and conditioning 
                         assistance for Malawi.

Whereas a one-party state under the control of a few has maintained absolute 
        control of all aspects of life in Malawi for many years;
Whereas active prodemocracy forces have emerged in Malawi as other countries 
        move to embrace democratic change;
Whereas on March 8, 1992, the Bishops of Malawi issued a pastoral letter 
        condemning the social, economic and political conditions in Malawi, 
        thereby further encouraging peaceful demonstrations and strikes against 
        the Government and reenforcing the emerging efforts of prodemocracy 
        leaders;
Whereas the United States and other donors acted in May 1992 to restrict foreign 
        assistance to Malawi in light of the extensive repression by the 
        Government, and such aid remains suspended today;
Whereas as opposition to the Government has grown, the Government has responded 
        brutally to dissent and has arrested its opponents;
Whereas one of the leading opponents, Chakufwa Chihana, was arrested on April 6, 
        1992, for publicly calling for peaceful and democratic change, and has 
        been sentenced to two and a half years of hard labor;
Whereas another prominent government opponent, Orton Chirwa, died in prison on 
        October 20, 1992, at the age of seventy-three after eleven years of 
        incarceration with hard labor, and his wife, Vera, was released only on 
        January 24, 1993, after having served eleven years in jail herself;
Whereas Malawian President for Life H. Kamuzu Banda agreed to schedule a 
        referendum on his one-party rule for June 14, 1993, only after intense 
        international criticism and pressure; and
Whereas the Government of Malawi continues to jail opposition candidates and 
        restrict opposition campaigning and freedoms, and has even jailed 
        Malawian exiles who return to participate in the referendum, including 
        the arrests of Edmond Jika and Gabriel Nkunika on February 24, 1993: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) the Congress--
            (1) strongly condemns the Malawian Government's continued 
        incarceration and harassment of dissidents; the restriction on 
        freedoms of speech, press and assembly; and the repeated, 
        short-term arrests of opposition leaders in order to impede 
        their prodemocracy efforts,
            (2) further condemns all efforts by the Malawian Government 
        to limit the ability of political parties and popular 
        organizations to campaign in relation to the upcoming 
        referendum,
            (3) strongly urges the Government of Malawi to consider the 
        recommendations of the United Nations Technical Team on the 
        Conduct of a Free and Fair Referendum on the Issue of a One 
        Party/Multiparty System in Malawi,
            (4) calls upon the Government of Malawi to release 
        immediately all political prisoners, including Chakufwa 
        Chihana, and demands that the Government immediately cease 
        arresting opponents for the peaceful expression of their views,
            (5) commends the actions of the United States and the 
        United Nations in support of democratic change in Malawi and 
        the freedom of expression and human rights and encourages the 
        President and the Secretary of State to work closely with other 
        governments to these ends, and
            (6) calls upon the President and the Secretary of State to 
        ensure that the United States development assistance program 
        bears relation to the Government of Malawi's progress toward an 
        open political system and respect for human rights and to work 
        to ensure that the assistance of other governments and 
        multilateral institutions is directed toward these same goals.
    (b)(1) Conditions for the Resumption of Assistance.--Assistance to 
the Government of Malawi (including deliveries of assistance previously 
obligated) shall be resumed only if the President determines and 
reports to the appropriate congressional committees that the Government 
of Malawi has--
            (A) released political detainees, including Chakufwa 
        Chihana, ended the prosecution of individuals for the 
        expression of their political beliefs, halted the use of 
        torture, stopped the unlawful short-term detention of 
        opponents, and granted amnesty to Malawian exiles wishing to 
        return home;
            (B) established and respected fundamental freedoms, 
        including freedom of expression, assembly, the press, and the 
        ability to organize free and independent political parties and 
        labor organizations and a repeal of the ban on all 
        publications;
            (C) permitted unimpeded the right to participate freely in 
        the selection of government, the creation of an independent and 
        impartial referendum commission, secrecy of all balloting, 
        equal access to the media to all parties, the granting of 
        permits for political meetings to opposition groups, the access 
        of international election monitors, and the establishment of a 
        fair system of voter registration;
            (D) established effective institutions for the protection 
        of the above-described rights, including an independent 
        judiciary with the security of tenure for judges, public 
        accountability for police actions, the adoption of 
        internationally respected standards of due process in the 
        courts--including the so-called ``traditional'' courts--and 
        effective remedies for those tortured or mistreated.
    (2) The President may waive such parts of the restrictions in this 
subsection which are necessary to provide assistance to refugees 
currently residing in Malawi.
    (3) A determination under paragraph (1) shall not become effective 
until fifteen days after it is reported to the appropriate 
congressional committees.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the term 
``assistance'' means--
            (1) assistance provided under chapter 4 of part II of the 
        Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (relating to the economic 
        support fund);
            (2) quick disbursing, nonproject assistance provided under 
        chapter 10 of title I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
        (relating to the Development Fund for Africa); and
            (3) financing made available under the Arms Export Control 
        Act.

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